Partnerships that Last

Communities across the United States face a variety of vexing and intractable problems that are not easily – or quickly - solved by any one organization or sector. Rather, partners must work together over time to address these shared priorities. It also requires an individual and collective ability to overcome the challenges and setbacks that arise along the way, a key question emerges: what keeps community partnerships strong over time? This Element compares and contrasts a sample of enduring voluntary partnerships with those that have ended to identify the features that contribute to collaborative resilience, or the ability of partnerships to respond productively to shocks and change over time.